School Life
by Cimee
Summary: Emil, a shy and often bullied boy, is going to go to Symphonian High where he meets a Richter, a tough hot-tempered guy. What will happen when you make these two roommates at the school dorm with some sprinkles of romance? Richter X Emil X OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer****:** I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! If I did, Emil and Richter would have already gotten together~

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**Chapter One:** New School

Emil Castagnier stood outside the door of his dorm room. He had the key in his hand, just waiting to unlock the door to his new life in high school, but he only had one problem: he had a roommate who was infamous for his temper, and Emil wasn't the best person who could handle that.

After his parents were killed in a car accident, Emil's aunt and uncle took him in, though they weren't that enthusiastic about the sudden intrusion. The first thing they did was send him to this high school, Symphonian High, just because they had dorms.

"It's more convenient for us and for you, too, Emil," his aunt said, "You can learn to be independent by yourself and until you get a job, we'll send you enough money for any other expenses."

_They just want me out of the house, I just know it_, thought Emil as he watched them move his belongings into the back of a moving truck, _they never really liked me anyway…_

As he continued to stand in front of the door, Emil was trying to think of multiples ways to try and make friends with his new roommate. He wanted to make a good impression on – what was his name – Richter …Abend? Or was it Abant? Something with an "A". Emil shook his head, dismissing the matter and unlocked the door.

The room was clean with two beds on either side of the room, and a window with beige curtains was placed in the back wall, giving Emil a sneak peak at the school campus. He sat down on the empty bed, now his bed, and sighed. How was he going to survive high school all by himself? He wasn't the brightest person, and he wasn't the most athletic either. He couldn't even stand up for himself against the bullies in his old school, so how could he possibly survive the terrors of high school?

"Hey, who're you?"

Emil jumped at the sudden intrusion of his thoughts as he stood up to face a red/pink-haired man with piercing green eyes, a pair of glasses magnifying the cold glare his face wore.

"I-I-I'm Emil… I'm y-your new roommate?" he stated with uncertainty.

"If you're gonna sleep in this room, then yes, you're my new roommate," the man said, "but if you're not, then get out of here!"

"I-I'm sorry…," Emil stuttered out as he bowed his head in fear.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," the man said with a bit of annoyance.

"O-oh, I'm so- Oh, wait! I-I mean… n-nevermind…" Emil seemed to bow his head even lower as he tried to correct his apology.

The man glanced at his new stuttering roommate, and tried to explain as plainly as he could, "Look, I'm not mad at you, okay? I'm just a bit short with others, that's all."

Emil looked up with a bit of hope that this short-tempered man may be his first friend. With whatever confidence he had, he introduced himself.

"I-I-I'm Emil. E-Emil Castagnier."

"…Richter. Richter Abend."

_Oh_, thought Emil with the "aha!" moment, _that's his last name…_

* * *

Yay! I'm done with the first chapter!

…please place a comment… and I will be a very happy child.

Criticism is VERY nice.

Maybe some ideas, too…

Thanks for reading! :D

*note: This is my first fanfic, so I apologize if it's not that great…and that it's very short...

I'll improve with practice!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Maybe the school… but nothing else~

Thanks to those who reviewed and read the story! :D

You have made me very happy~

I have decided to update this story weekly, but if I update earlier that's okay, too, right?

Okay, enjoy Chapter TWO!

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**Chapter Two: **New Friends

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BE-_

Richter woke up to the sound of the eternally annoying alarm clock, hitting the snooze button mercilessly. He groaned as he reached for his glasses and sat up in his bed. He glanced at the bed on the opposite side of the room.

The blond boy slept on, unstirred by the noise. He moaned painfully, as if he was having a nightmare, rolling back and forth in the bed frantically.

_That's right… I have a new roommate now_, Richter thought as he grabbed a towel to take a shower, _I don't know if I should wake him up or not…_

He hesitated in front of the door as the blond let out a little whimper of misery. Deciding to be nice to the poor boy and rescue him from his terrifying dreams, Richter walked over to the bed and shook the shivering body a bit.

"Hey," he said as he continued to shake the boy's shoulder, "wake up."

Emil turned to face Richter and clung to his arm for dear life, muttering something like, "Don't leave me…You have to stay! Don't leave me…"

"H-hey! What are you doing!" he stammered with slight embarrassment as he tried to free himself from Emil's grasp, surprised by the sudden attack, but he refused to let go, still muttering the same line over and over again like a mantra, "Don't leave me…don't leave me…please, don't leave me…"

"I have to leave to take a shower and get to school, so please wake up and let go!"

Richter pulled until Emil fell from the bed and onto the floor. With a yelp of surprise, he woke up, finally releasing his death grip on Richter.

"O-Oh, good morning, Richter…" he stuttered with surprise as he sat up on the floor. He was wearing a night_gown_. A _nightgown_!

"…why are you wearing a dress," answered Richter, a slight frown forming on his face, "Don't girls wear that?"

"I-I'm sorry…" mumbled Emil as a blush slowly crept to his cheeks, "It's the only thing that my aunt and uncle g-gave me…"

Richter sighed in frustration and said, "You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

An awkward silence followed their strange conversation.

"…"

"…"

"Do you want to take a shower first?" asked Richter, finally breaking the silence.

"Oh, o-okay," replied Emil, getting up to gather some clothes to change into and a towel, "What about you?"

"I'll take one after you, of course, now get going before were both late."

"S-sorry."

As Emil closed the bathroom door behind him, Richter thought about the incident that morning with Emil clinging to him for dear life.

_I wonder what his nightmare was about to make him cling to me like that_, thought Richter, _although he did look girly in that "nightgown". Very girly._

He shook his head getting the sudden image of Emil out of his mind. What on earth was he thinking! Emil is a guy, not a girl.

He sorely wished Emil would hurry up with his shower.

dOoOb

Emil stood nervously in front of the door to his new class. He was excited and frightened at the same time. Excited for the chance to make new friends, but frightened at the chance of getting bullied.

"What are you doing?"

Surprised, Emil sharply turned around, muttered an apology, and stood away from the door.

"Hey," said the girl, now wearing an amused expression, "I don't bite."

She had very long, light brown hair with two large white flowers on both sides of her head. Hands on her hips, she was a few centimeters shorter than Emil.

"Well, go on inside! Class is about to start!"

"O-okay," Emil smiled a shy smile as he slowly walked inside the room. The classroom itself was actually quite dim. The windows were closed, and the only source of light came from the lanterns dangling from the ceiling. It wasn't very bright, but not dark enough for students to have the need to bring a flashlight to see their notes without effort.

"Alright class, please come to order," said the teacher as he entered the room. He was also quite dark, wearing a black dress shirt with purple lining along his collar and cuffs. His shirt was not tucked in, but his stature gave him a refined look. He also wore black slacks with black dress shoes, and if you looked closely, you could see a slight hint of purple on the edges. All his black clothing contradicted the color of his skin, which was a pale, creamy white.

"I am your English teacher, Centurion Tenebrae, but you may call me Mr. Tenebrae," spoke the English teacher with hints that he lived a couple of years in London.

"The first thing we are going to do is to assign seats, so everyone please go to the back of the classroom."

All the students murmured and whispered among themselves, hoping they'll be able to sit next to their friends and far away from their enemies. Emil hoped he could sit next to that girl with light brown hair; she seemed to be nice.

"When I call your name, please come to the seat that I point to. Lloyd Irving, first seat on the left. Genis Sage, the seat to the right of Lloyd. Colette Brunel, the seat behind Genis…"

It continued on like that, Mr. Tenebrae calling out names and assigning seats, until all the seats were occupied with happily chattering students. It seems that God had enough mercy to grant Emil's wish; he was seated next to the light brown-haired girl.

"Hi again!" she greeted cheerfully.

"H-Hi," Emil greeted back as he waved his hand a bit.

"My name is Marta. Marta Lualdi. What's your name?"

"M-My name is Emil. Emil Castagnier."

"I hope we can be good friends!" said Marta, smiling happily at her new acquaintance.

_Friend…_, Emil thought happily as Mr. Tenebrae called the attention of the class.

_My first friend…but what about Richter?_, Emil mused this over in his head, _Can I call him a friend? I wonder what he's doing right now…_

dOoOb

Richter's first class was History, his best subject, with Ms. Sage. He wasn't too happy when she said that they could choose seats, because that meant he was going to sit next to Aqua. She wasn't exactly the quietest person in class, and she often disturbed his studies.

_This is going to be a long year…_

* * *

Yay, longer chapter!

There wasn't much Emil x Richter in this chapter, but it will get better as it progresses~

Once again, please review/comment/criticize!

Thank You!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except, in this chapter, Alice's made-up last name.

Once again, thanks to all readers and reviewers. All your lovely reviews are greatly appreciated. :D

Now, on with the next chapter~

**

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**

**Chapter Three:** Drama Class!

"Hey, Emil," Marta said with mild curiosity, "What's your elective class?"

It was finally time for lunch. Emil and Marta were sitting at the table with a few other anonymous people, busily eating away at cafeteria food or homemade lunches. The circular lunch tables, seating a comfortable amount of eight people, were scattered around a large cafeteria. The cafeteria had food vendors placed to the far right of the building next to the exiting door, so the lines trailed out into the lengthy hallway.

"Umm…" Emil mumbled as he tried to remember his schedule, "I think I have Drama."

"Oh, that's great!" exclaimed the brown-haired girl, "We have another class together!"

"Oh. That's great!" replied Emil, happy that there was another class to look forward to not being alone.

Meanwhile…

"Hey Richter~ "

_Ugh…_

"What's your elective this year? I made you a delicious lunch box, just for you!" Aqua pushed the seafood lunch box in front of Richter, "I want to know if I can change classes to be with you!"

Richter wasn't too pleased to hear that his stalker was going to change classes if he told her, so he kept quiet, and instead changed the subject back to the overly fishy lunch box, "I have my own food from the cafeteria, so I don't need your lunch box. You can give it to one of your fan boys."

"Oh, Richter, I thought you liked seafood…" Aqua said with disappointment as she boxed the lunch and put it back in her bag, "You ate it everyday last year."

_That's why I got sick of it_, thought Richter, his eyes narrowing as he spots Emil with Marta, _At least he seems to be getting along just fine. He already got himself a girlfriend._

He quickly resumed eating his school-bought lunch as Aqua spotted where his eyes glanced.

"That's your new roommate, right?" she asked him, trying to get a conversation going, "He's really girly, huh? Does he get bullied a lot? Why did he transfer here in the first place? Is he ga –"

"What's with all your annoying questions?" Richter answered in a harsh tone, finally silencing the chatterbox for a few seconds so he could eat in peace! Thankfully, his last two classes of the day after lunch were Aqua-free. He could actually concentrate on his work. Although, what kind of work needs to be done in Drama?

dOoOb

_Finally, the last class_.

Emil, once again, was simply standing in front of the door of the Drama class, his final class for the day.

_I've survived the first day of high school!_

"What the heck are you doing, Emil?"

Startled, he spun around and almost lost his balance if it wasn't for the stranger who caught him in mid-fall by the waist. Blushing slightly, he was brave enough to take a peak of his savior to be face-to-face with…

"R-Richter!"

"Emil, you shouldn't stand in front of the door. You'll get in other people's way."

Richter let Emil regain his balance, the blush only deepening on the blonde's face as he muttered an apology. Once again, the taller of the two boys just sighed, saying gently to the other that he shouldn't apologize. It was starting to become a routine.

"Come into the room, my lovely actors and actresses! I know you all can't resist me and my new cologne!"

As Emil and Richter entered the classroom, an overwhelming stench reached their noses. Emil had to resist covering his face with his hands as their new Drama teacher approached them.

"I knew you two couldn't resist me! The company that sells this cologne said that the scent would have everyone falling over themselves to see me. It's surprisingly effective!"

The teacher was wearing an outfit that only the most overly confident students would dare to wear to school. He wore a black tank-top dress shirt with a diamond hole right in the center of his chest. A purple tie draped over the opening, doing nothing to cover up the exposed skin. A white jacket with black faux fur lining the collar was worn over the tank unzipped, showing the diamond hole. He also wore black vans paired with black skinny jeans.

"I think their just fainting from the horrible smell… ugh!" whispered Marta to Emil as she took a seat next to him, "Whoever is selling that cologne better stop! This smell is going to kill my nose!"

Emil just nodded in agreement as Richter took a seat behind him. He started to get nervous. Why? He had no reason to… it was just Richter sitting behind him, that's all…

"Alright, little boys and girls, time to get into your seats and get started! My name is Decus. Just Decus will do. No need for formalities, because I know you're all my fans. But alas! My heart only belongs to Ms. Alice Elfe!" said the ever-so-dramatic teacher as he wrote his name and Ms. Elfe's name in big loopy letters, circling them with a huge heart.

Most of the students were just stunned by his stupidity, so most of them kept quiet while the braver ones started to whisper among themselves about how crazy the teacher was.

"First thing do to, class, is get familiar with each other," Decus suddenly announced, "so we'll all play a little game. I'll assign all of you partners for step number one."

"I hope we'll be partners," whispered Marta as she gave Emil a small smile. Emil politely smiled back, only nodding as a response.

"Emil and Richter will be the first pair."

_Richter!_, Emil cried in his head as he shyly glanced at the red-haired boy. Their eyes met, and Emil quickly turned away.

_Why is my face turning red! It's just Richter, so calm down!_, Emil shouted in his head to quell his darkening blush.

It continued on until everyone had a partner. Marta was paired with the infamous playboy amongst girls, Zelos Wilder. He smiled at her and Marta returned the smile with slight unease. After all, what girl would want to be partnered with a famous heartbreaker?

"Now for step two, please choose who will be number one and number two!" said the overzealous teacher, drawing two stick figures on the board and labeling them "one" and "two". This was done quickly after a few seconds.

"Then get into two circles. There will be an inner circle and an outer circle. The people in the inner circle are those labeled number one and the outer circle is composed of the number two's." The students quickly formed two circles.

Marta, standing next to Emil in the inner circle, said with a bit of exasperation, "This game sounds so complicated!"

"Oh, but there is more, dear Marta!" declared Decus, making Marta jump in surprise, "I will announce two different body parts while the inner circle walks clockwise and the outer circle walks the opposite way. You and your partner must touch those two body parts together the quickest. You must not be last, or else your team will be eliminated! Do you all understand, little children?"

All the students just bobbed their heads, wanting the boring lecture of rules to be over with.

"Then start walking!"

The two rings or students started to walk in the opposite directions. Some of the students tried to stall the procession to stay next to their partner as long as possible, while others tried to push the line to go faster. Emil, unfortunately, was caught up in all of the pushing and shoving. Richter, seeing this, was tempted to just run out of his line and drag him out of the chaos. But then Decus called out the two body parts.

"Cheek to hand!"

All of a sudden, the circles broke apart and became a bundle of shouts as people tried to find their partners. Richter wasted no time in grabbing Emil out of the crowd and putting his hand on Emil's left cheek. He tried not to make eye contact as the cheek under his hand started to warm up and turn a nice shade of pink.

The game continued on like that, one partner being eliminated after another until only two teams were left: Emil/Richter and Marta/Zelos.

"Okay, last round! Let's see who wins first prize!"

The two non-existent circles turned about until the drama teacher finally called out the last round.

"Nose to nose!"

At this, some of the fan girls of Zelos glared at Marta as the two advanced towards each other to touch noses. She hesitated, but Zelos advanced enough to just barely touch each other. She kept her eyes shut tight, not wanting to be _that_ close to anyone at the current moment.

On the other hand, many yaoi fan girls squealed with delight as Richter and Emil touched the tips of their noses together. Emil, like Marta, was extremely uncomfortable with this position and closed his eyes. He face was as red as a tomato! If he looked at Richter now, he would simply faint with either excitement or embarrassment. Emil believed embarrassment would send him to the nurse's office first.

Richter was studying Emil's shut eyes. How could any living boy have such long lashes? He was actually tempted to just close the distance…no!

_What the hell am I thinking!_, his mind scolded as he continued to stare at the feminine face of the shy blond, _Emil is a guy! Control! Have some self-control!_

"And the winning team is Richter and Emil!"

When Decus declared the winner, both parties immediately stepped away from each other. Emil still had a pretty pink dashed across his cheeks.

"Your prize is a lovely portrait of me!" said the teacher, holding up two life-sized pictures of him doing different poses, "Just take your pick!"

Thankfully for the two winners, the bell rang out, signaling the end of the day. Richter grabbed his bag and quickly left the classroom to avoid taking the ridiculous poster. Emil was saved from Decus by Marta, who also quickly left the room, taking Emil with her.

"What a day, huh?" asked Marta as they walked down the stairs towards the exit.

"Yeah… what a day," replied Emil in a dazed tone, staring out into the distance of his curious mind. What would he have seen if he opened his eyes?

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Marta waved goodbye as her father's car came to pick her up. Emil waved back, smiling happily at his "first" friend.

_Well, time to go back,_ thought Emil as he turned to walk back to the dorms, _and to see Richter…_

dOoOb

Richter quickly opened the door to his dorm room and landed face-up on his bed. Where the heck were these feelings coming from! He had only seen the boy for literally a day! Well, maybe a day and a half, but that's not the point.

Why was he being so protective of this boy? Was it because he was timid? Shy? Was it because he wore a girly nightgown to sleep?

He really needed to buy proper night clothing for him, or he would go insane with that dress!

He then heard the door unlock slowly, and behind the door was none other than the almighty Emil, the person who could vaguely control his emotions in less than two days. Richter groaned and flopped over in his bed.

Emil, concerned for him, asked, "Are you okay, Richter?"

Richter turned his head around, slightly surprised, "You stopped stuttering."

"R-Really?" replied the blond.

_Ah… it's back_, thought Richter as he heard the slight stutter in Emil's reply.

"It's nothing," he mumbled as he sat up on his bed, preparing to start on the day's homework.

"O-Oh…okay."

Emil and Richter sat at their separate desks, taking out textbooks, pencils, and any other necessity needed to do homework. Both of them then got to work, and thought:

_What do these feelings mean?_

* * *

Yes, the chapter is even longer than before!

The game that these two played in drama class I actually played with my church as an ice-breaker game. Yup, that scene was based on a true story! I got to see two boys getting up close and personal with their noses touching~

I'm pretty sure I got a few strange looks after I squealed with delight… :D

Anyway, this was written from 1:00am – 3:12am, so if there are any errors, I apologize, for I was not fully awake at the time.

Like always, reviews and critique are appreciated and welcomed.

Thank You!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything. As usual.

Thank you, readers, for the lovely reviews. They are wonderful. :D

Chapter FOUR now comes to the stage!

I thank you for your patience~

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**Chapter Four:** The Weekend Surprise

The rest of the week went by with many more awkward moments between Richter and Emil. One time, when they both reached for the door knob for the bathroom door, Richter's hand seemed to place itself right on top of Emil's petite one. Emil, of course, immediately turned pink. Richter, on the other hand, seemed emotionless as he quickly let go, muttering a small something before the blonde dashed into the bathroom.

At the long last, the first weekend of the school year arrived. For Emil, this was great. He did the homework, but it wasn't really the easiest thing for him to do. The red haired man considered it pure torture. Why? Well, it's a pretty simple answer.

"Oh, Richter~," called a girl outside the boys' dormitories, "I have a date planned for us today! Come on out so we can discuss our schedule for today!"

Richter groaned, turned around on his bed, and looked at the clock. The red digital numbers glared at him, saying the time was 6:30am.

So early… Who seriously gets up this early on a weekend!

"Riiiichteeerrr~~~" Aqua called out again, earning some waking movements from the opposite bed.

Emil was still wearing that blasted nightgown. If shopping was on Aqua's agenda, which it probably was, he was definitely going out to buy a proper _boy's _sleepwear. The poor man was going to crack with that girly dress. It had way too many frills, making the boy look excessively feminine.

Richter slowly and reluctantly got up from his warm bed, went to the window, and threw the girl an angry glare. But with his crazy bed hair, Aqua simply giggled and pointed to her head to indicate the fact that his hair was a complete mess. He angrily shut the window and stormed into the bathroom.

The slam of the bathroom door finally woke the sleeping beauty, startling him awake. Wondering if it was the window, Emil got up and looked outside. There was a girl with blue hair standing on the sidewalk, holding a scroll of some sort. Her blue hair was tied into a low ponytail, the hair splitting at the very end making it look more like a fish tail. She wore a white dress with spaghetti straps, the skirt forming a bell-like shape, the edges decorated with frills.

She looked up at the window, making eye contact with Emil. At first she seemed startled, angry, and then furious. If looks could kill, Emil would already be dead. Frightened, he stepped away from the window and sat back down on his bed. He didn't do anything wrong, did he? He never even saw the girl before, so why would she be so furious with him?

As he puzzled over this, Richter exited the bathroom, his red mane tamed by the brush. Looking at Emil, he was taken by surprise; that dress was riding up _way _too high for comfort. He quickly looked away, trying to avoid a cold shower.

"Your underwear is showing."

"W-What!" squeaked Emil as he was snapped out of his thoughts to pull down his nightgown. His face was not just pink, but a nice rose red as he fidgeted with the frills at the end of his sleeves.

Another awkward silence hung in the air as Richter grabbed some clothes to change into.

"You can go back to sleep," said Richter with a hint of gentleness, "I just have some issues I need to deal with."

Emil nodded, still a bit drowsy, but his curiosity peaked as his eyes wandered to the clock.

"W-Where do you have to go so early? I-It's the weekend," he inquired, tilting his head oh-so subtly to the side.

Richter inwardly gulped, staring at the cuteness before him, but he quickly turned around.

_This guy either needs a haircut or new nightwear_, thought the man with a small blush quickly making its way to his cheeks.

"Just somewhere, so go back to sleep," Richter replied with no evidence that he was shaken at all.

"O-Oh…," said Emil with his expression falling a bit due to disappointment.

"…I'll be back by tonight, so don't worry," said Richter with that same gentleness in his voice, "See you later."

"B-Be safe!" Emil said before the door closed with a click.

After a few moments of silence, Emil decided that he couldn't fall asleep; he was too embarrassed about the underwear thing. He opened the window to feel the cool breeze to calm him down a bit. When he looked down, he saw Richter, dressed in a casual black tee with baggy jeans, with the girl who glared at him earlier.

She was clinging to Richter's arm.

A sudden feeling of hurt washed over Emil as the girl then leaned her head on his shoulder. He couldn't see anything else after that because they walked behind the wall circling the school.

Floods of questions rolled around in his mind: Why was Richter going out with this girl so early? Did Richter have something special with this girl? Was he _dating_ that girl? Why was he thinking so hard about this in the first place? Why was he acting like a jealous girl?

Questions, questions, questions.

Steadily getting frustrated, the cold breeze not helping him at all, he closed the window and got changed. He was going to follow them and see for himself.

dOoOb

Richter looked over his shoulder again. This was the third time he felt like someone was watching him. It was starting to get on his nerves.

"Come on, Richter! Quit stalling! We need to find the perfect 'gift' for Tenebonehead. He's gotta start wishing he was never born! It has to be perfect," said Aqua, dragging poor Richter along by the arm, gazing through the windows of the street's practical joke shops.

"And this is what you consider a date, huh?" said Richter in a monotone way, freeing himself from the girl's grasp for the millionth time, "Why would you drag me here to do your pointless revenge case? I could have gotten some decent sleep if you didn't wake me up."

"Oh, Richter, just spending time with you is a date~ In fact, everyday at school is like a date for me!" said Aqua, turning away from the shops awhile to smile pleasantly at the still-grumpy Richter, "Besides, it's not good for you if you sleep too much."

Richter resisted rolling his eyes. This girl was a nutcase. At least in his opinion.

Stopping at a local café, they sat down to refresh themselves with a few drinks. Aqua was happily drinking the special of the day: Ocean Water. Richter was content with a cup of ice water.

"So…,"Aqua started, her expression suddenly turning serious, "Who was that girl in your room?"

"What!"

dOoOb

Emil, disguised as a girl wearing a floral print summer dress (complete with sunglasses), was sitting behind them, sipping on a strawberry shake. He found the dress in his suitcase, so that was convenient, but the kids back home probably put it in as a prank.

_Girl…?_, Emil wondered, _Richter didn't bring any girls into the room…_

"Don't lie to me, Richter!" exclaimed the blue-haired girl who was starting to bring a few stares in her direction, "I know what I saw! She was wearing a white nightgown! It even had _frills_!"

_Oooohhh…_, Emil thought, _that's why she was glaring at me._

Richter, also realizing who she was talking about, tried to explain, but the girl just wouldn't let him; she was too immersed in her rage.

"Listen, let me explain – "

"There's nothing to explain, Richter! I'm going home!"

With that final statement, she grabbed her shopping bags and stormed out of the café. He sighed, massaging his temples with his fingers. She left him with the bill, and this café wasn't the cheapest on the block. Placing a few bills on the table, he left and went to the cheapest clothing store he could find. He thought now was the perfect time for him to buy Emil a not-so-girly nightwear.

Emil quickly sipped down the rest of his drink, paid, and got up to follow Richter. It seems he got up too quickly, and he quickly lost his balance.

Emil started to fall, but was caught by a stranger.

"Be careful, miss," said the mysterious man. Emil's sunglasses slipped a little in his fall, giving him a clear view of how this stranger looked like.

The man was actually quite young, at most a senior in high school. His jet black hair was a mess, but somehow gave a sense of appeal to the ladies. He wore a semi-tight green t-shirt with the word "elements" printed across the front along with white sports shorts with blue stripes on the side. To complete the sporty look, he had white tennis shoes on his feet, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

"Miss, are you alright?" said the beautiful stranger and Emil quickly stumbled to his feet.

"I-I'm fine, t-thanks," replied Emil quietly, still a bit shocked from being rescued from such a beautiful boy, "I-I have to go."

Emil darted around the boy and made a beeline for the dorms, still embarrassed for tripping and almost falling in public.

"Strange…," muttered the athlete, scratching his head in confusion, "I know I've seen that face before…"

"C'mon, Sanders!" called the boy's friend, "We're gonna be late for practice!"

"Coming! Coming!" replied the boy, running towards his teammates.

"Y'know, Wolfe, you're going to get us in trouble someday, I just know it."

"Oh, I'm so hurt," Wolfe replied in a mock hurt tone.

"Why'd you join the silly Drama class anyway?" asked his peer, "It doesn't really look good if you play tennis and act at the same time, y'know."

"Shut up! I need this class to graduate, okay?"

"Fine, fine," said the friend, laughing at how defensive his friend became, "Did you see a cute girl at the café? Is that why you took so long?"

"I just thought she looked familiar, that's all," Wolfe said with a bit of agitation, "Looked like that guy, what was his name, Emil."

"Oh, that girly guy in your Drama class, right?" the friend said, "If I was gay, I'd date him."

"Just listen to yourself!" said Wolfe with horror at his friend, "You just said, 'If I was gay'!"

"What's wrong with that? You're gay yourself, aren't you?"

As the two friends went into a full blown argument, Richter, carrying the new pajamas for his roommate, was listening into their conversation when they mentioned Emil.

_He would date him if he was gay!_, repeated Richter in his mind, a bubble of jealousy slowly floating its way to his head, _is Emil really that beautiful?_

After thinking it over in his head, he decided, yes. It was fully possible for Emil to be beautiful enough to attract even men to his side. It had certainly worked with him.

_Stop it, Richter_, he scolded, _you just admitted that the boy was _beautiful_. Stop it._

He rushed back to the dorms, trying to lessen the chance for him to think about these things, to find that the door to his room was open. It was only open a crack, but it was open. He was sure he had closed and locked the door when he left! But then again, Emil could have gone out and forget to shut the door.

He opened to door slowly, and what he found was not what he had expected at all.

On his bed was an angel, sleeping peacefully in the afternoon sun. But there were just a few problems. One, Emil shouldn't look like an angel to him. Two, Emil wasn't supposed to be sleeping on _his _bed. And three, _why the hell is Emil wearing a friggin' flower dress!_

Trying desperately to control himself, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and walked as quietly as possible to the bathroom door, placing his clothing gift on Emil's bed.

Unfortunately for Richter, due to his concentration on trying to be as quiet as possible and control himself from attacking Emil, he didn't notice the pair of sunglasses on the floor. The sunglasses (being incredibly sturdy), instead of breaking under Richter's weight, slipped on the wood flooring, making Richter fall towards his bed.

That was _definitely _not a good sign for Richter's control.

He caught himself just before landing on top of Emil, but the position they were in would lead to rumors. Richter's elbows were on either side of Emil's sleeping face, making Richter's face unbearably close to the sleeping angel's. Their bodies were so close that if one of them moved, they would rub against each other.

Definitely not good for Richter.

As if God was testing his self control, Emil moved a bit in his sleep, not only brushing against Richter's body, but exposing more skin on his neck.

That was it.

Richter had to do _something_. Anything! Anything to show that this boy under him was his, and only his. He hoped he wasn't going to do something he regretted.

He bent his head down to kiss Emil's exposed neck, placing gentle butterfly kisses along the soft skin, licking and sucking the area near the base of his neck. This earned him a moan from Emil.

He stopped for a moment, looking up too see if he woke Emil up. The blonde was still asleep, but aroused by Richter's actions on his neck.

Richter abandoned what he was doing on Emil's neck and went to his lips. He lowered his lips onto his in a short, but sweet kiss. Richter then kissed him again, this time with more passion and force.

It was after that kiss that Emil finally woke up.

"R-Richter," Emil began, reddening at their position, "what are you d-doing?" He squeaked on the last word as Richter lifted himself off of Emil, going straight to the bathroom.

Emil, left on the bed and still wearing the dress, was completely confused. He felt out of breath, and that dream he had…

_Oh, no…_, he thought as he looked down to the area between his legs. He crossed his legs in an attempt to cover up his arousal.

_Richter, hurry up with the bathroom, please!_

But Emil didn't know that Richter was dealing with the same problem…

* * *

Yes… DONE.

I'm starting to get into the bad habit of procrastination…

Written from 12:00am – 3:19am, so if there are any errors, I apologize.

Reviews are always appreciated.

Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Except the new character I introduced last chapter.

Oh My Goodness.

I thank all readers for being patient with me and staying with this story!

(…and I apologize for my tardiness in uploading this chapter…)

It means a lot for me to see that so many people are willing to read my story AND be patient enough to wait for the slow updates from me~

Once again, I give all the readers a big THANK YOU!

…well, now. Onto the next chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Five:** A New Rival in Love…WHAT!

Ever since the outing with Richter and Aqua, the two roommates seemed even more sensitive to each other's presence. Whenever they made eye contact, both would immediately turn away, Emil's face dark red while Richter had a very light pink across his cheeks.

Richter, not knowing what to do with these feelings, tried to distance himself from the blond beauty. It didn't help too much.

Emil, on the other hand, was trying to become "friends" with Richter. He didn't know it himself, yet, but he was quickly falling for the red-head, instinctively drawn to him. But when he tried to talk to him, Richter would either not look at him or walk away.

It was starting to worry Emil. Much more than he thought it would bother him.

Drama class finally came around, the last class of the day. Richter still sat behind Emil, but was giving the back of his head a cold stare. The poor boy was extremely uncomfortable. The terrible scent coming from Decus wasn't helping, either.

"Class!" cried the overzealous teacher, "The fall play is coming up and now is the time I will assign parts to you all! We will be playing the classic play of SLEEPING BEAUTY! The story after the marriage, just to let you know~"

Most of the students perked up to listen, some hoping for a big role, others simply wanting a part where there isn't much work involved.

Decus took out a dark purple box with little scraps of paper in it. The little scraps rustled around as he put his hand in to draw the first part.

"I'll assign the not-so-important parts first… so Kelly Hil, Dani Pham, and Beatrice Apple, you all will be the servants in the castle. Jack Opper and Franco Bleu, you guys are soldiers and servants. Miller Dean…"

It continued on like that, the smelly teacher calling out names and parts. Many of the students sighed in relief that they didn't have to do too much work while others slouched with a bit of disappointment. Our main characters didn't really like their parts…

"I'm WHO!"

"W-W-WHAT!"

Emil just stood there, too shocked for words. It's what one would call speechless.

Richter grabbed the collar of the outrageous outfit and whispered in a deathly quiet tone, "Why the hell am I the evil queen! I don't even look remotely like a woman!"

"But you are very evil-looking," shot back Decus, who looked very calm about the whole situation.

Marta came up next, walking up next to the drama teacher and in her sweetest voice, "Why am I the evil princess? I'm pretty sure I don't look evil."

"You do when you're angry."

It took all she had to not punch the living daylights out of Decus. The smile she wore turned rigid, looking more like an evil, scheming smile instead of her usual smile.

Emil was still shocked, frozen solid in his seat.

_I'm Sleeping Beauty…the princess…_, he thought sadly to himself as "princess" echoed in his head, _the teasing will never end…wait._

The blonde, finally pulled away from his frozen self, asked the question:

"Who is playing the prince?"

"I'm _so_ glad you mentioned it, little Emil~," said the teacher dramatically, pulling away from Richter's death glare and grip, "I still have to announce the final part!"

Since the backstage crew wasn't selected yet, the remaining people without a part started to murmur among themselves. Who's getting the part?

"Thank you for waiting, children!" Decus cried out, "Now, our lovely prince who will kiss our princess –"

Emil winced when he said princess.

" – will be… Wolfe Sanders!"

"WHAT!"

The lad named Wolfe Sanders stood up with an expression of horror, shock, and fear. Shock, because he actually got a leading role in the fall play. Fear, because all the guys/girls who wanted the part would kill him. Finally, horror, because that meant he had to kiss someone. Specifically the extremely feminine blonde guy who looked like he was about to faint.

"Hey," he shouted to the overly happy drama teacher, "I'm a tennis player, alright? I don't act! I only joined this class because I needed a visual arts class!"

"Well, then you better start practicing," said Decus without a care in the world, grabbing a stack of scripts for the main roles, "I expect to see you all here tomorrow after school for the first rehearsal!"

He then started to hand out the scripts, Marta still grumpy about being the evil princess.

Richter was fuming in the corner not only about his part but about Emil's part as well.

_If that Sanders does ANYTHING to Emil, he is going to wish he were never-_

"R-Richter, are you okay?" Emil hesitantly asked, "You look really m-mad."

"I'm fine. Let's just go home," he said quickly as he grabbed his bag and the script.

"O-Oh… okay."

As the pair walked out of the cologne-drenched room, the prince was looking at the princess.

_He's actually not that bad looking…_, his thoughts wondered around in his mind, _I guess I could imagine myself kissing him…_

"What are you thinking about Sanders? We have to get to practice," said his friend with a bit of urgency and annoyance, "Did you stare at your future princess long enough?"

"Oh, shut up!" he said with a embarrassment colored across his cheeks, "I need to tell the coach that I'll miss practice for the next few days."

"Why?" asked his teammate with curiosity, "Aren't you going to skip it? I sure am."

"Nah, this play seems interesting," he replied with a big Cheshire-cat grin on his face, "I'm going to get myself a princess."

* * *

Okay.

I hope you remember Wolfe from the previous chapter! :D

Anyway, again, I'm VERY sorry for the late update. And that the chapter isn't that long…

BUT I hope it does bring a bit of school drama into the story~

As usual, comments/reviews/criticism and others are fully welcomed and appreciated!

Keep reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own everything. Not.

Hello all my fabulous readers!

Once AGAIN, thank you all for staying with me on this story.

Yes, I will be thanking you all every chapter because you guys are that cool.

And you can't stop me!

…anyway, just read the next chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Six:** The First Rehearsal

The next day in Drama, Emil was nervously holding out his arms so the people making the costumes would get the right measurements. The girls taking his measurements were giggling like mad, throwing at each other the gossip of the day while telling the costume designers his size.

Richter, still upset about being the evil queen, refused to be measured. Anyone that got close to him would receive a fearsome glare, and that usually scared off all the annoying costumers.

"Sorry I'm late!" said the dark-haired prince, "Coach was being stingy on how many practices I could miss."

"It's _perfectly_ alright, Mr. Sanders," purred Decus in a malicious way, "You just have to figure out how to get your mother's measurements."

"My WHAT!"

Decus sighed.

"The evil queen's measurements. For the costume," the teacher restated in simpler terms, "He's sulking in the corner, refusing to let anyone get close to him to take his measurements. We can't have the queen in super-tight clothes, now can we?"

Wolfe hesitatingly looked into the corner of the room where a sinister aurora seemed to engulf whoever stepped close. Sitting smack dab in the middle was none other than that fearsome redhead, famous for his equally fiery temper.

"W-Well…," Wolfe stuttered, trying to find an escape route to avoid Richter's wrath, "did you try sending Emil? He's his roommate!"

"That little boy is too much of a coward! He is even scared of the tiny, microscopic gnats that fly around outside! How would he be able to face the Demon Lord, Mr. Abend?" scoffed Decus, slight sneer emerging on his face.

This earned a twitch from Richter.

"I'll let him measure me," muttered the intimidating man, "as long as you don't call me a Demon Lord ever again."

This sent Emil pinking at his cheeks in a light blush. He was still a bit embarrassed to get in close, physical contact with his roommate after he found him looming over his small body. Especially with the dream he had before he woke up.

For everyone else in the classroom, some sighed with relief (mainly the costume designers), while others (mainly yaoi fangirls) squealed in delight.

One swift glare at them from Richter was all they needed to be silenced.

Emil stood up tentatively and had the measuring tape shoved into his hands. He wasn't sure how to take a person's measurements, but he had the general idea from the girls who measured him at the beginning of class.

He slowly walked up to the now-standing Richter, who still wore a frown of disgust at his role as he lifted his arms. Emil undid the tape and wound it around the taller man's torso, fumbling with it a bit as he struggled to get it around his broad chest.

Richter was fighting a blush from the feeling of being hugged by the shorter boy, but he controlled his emotions well, hiding his blush by thinking of murdering that playboy prince.

Wolfe suddenly felt a chill. He looked around and saw his "mother" glaring at him like there was no tomorrow. Wolfe definitely knew that his moves on the princess had to be extremely subtle if he was going to avoid getting killed by the princess's overly protective bodyguard.

After everyone had been measured, the main cast was led aside by the oh-so-responsible Drama teacher into an empty classroom so they could practice their lines.

"Just start practicing in here, alright? I'm sure that you all are old enough to not need a supervisor, so I'm heading back to check on the backstage crew," declared Decus.

"Wait a second!" shouted Wolfe after the teacher, but the smelly chaperone had already left.

"A-At least it's not so stinky anymore, right?" said Marta, suddenly aware of the tense atmosphere quickly forming as Richter continued to glare daggers at the poor prince.

"Let's just get this over with," said the "queen" as he angrily, and not so kindly, smashed the script open to the first major scene between the evil queen and the prince.

There was no way in _hell_ that Richter was going to let that Sanders boy do _any_ of the romance scenes in front of him. He knew that they inevitably had to practice those parts, but he refused to watch them act it out before his very eyes.

dOoOb

"But Mother!" cried Wolfe in an overly dramatic way, "How could you say such a thing about my wife?"

"I was only trying to…," Richter hesitates, "…_save_ you from her unjust ways!"

The script said to say that line with motherly affection. No way was that going to happen anytime soon.

"Just stop harassing her about her bloodline!" shouted the "prince" angrily, "She means everything to me, and nothing can change that! …What a cheesy play."

Wolfe flipped through the script, and then he read over his line again. He flipped to the front cover, and to no surprise to anyone, the play was written by Decus.

That lovesick teacher would ALWAYS get completely sappy when it came to the psychology teacher, Ms. Alice Elfe. It was also no secret that Ms. Elfe was completely annoyed by his antics, and she uses Decus obsession with her to her advantage to have a personal slave.

It was for that reason, everyone tried to stay on the mind-bending teacher's good side; there are rumors that she has a torture chamber hidden under her classroom.

"Alright, let's change it up," suddenly announced the tennis player as he walked past a bristling Richter, "Let's do the scene with the plotting of the evil queen and daughter to sabotage the princess's wedding."

Marta, eager to finally have a turn at acting, jumped up right away. Richter, on the other hand, was still muttering about how his role was "just a waste of time" and "a huge annoyance."

Wolfe finally had a chance at stealing the blonde's heart.

But the bodyguard was still giving him the evil eye, so he had to take baby steps in his approach.

"Hey there, shorty," said the athlete to the smaller, "What's your name?"

Emil was a bit startled by the voice as he turned to look at a goofy-grinned guy who played the prince.

He didn't want to be rude, so he replied, "I-I'm Emil. Emil Castangnier."

The dark-haired boy simply smiled, and responded eagerly, "I'm Wolfe Sanders, although you probably already heard from our smelly teacher of ours."

"Y-Yes…," Emil said nervously. He still wasn't quite used to talking to new people so casually.

"Hey," said Wolfe, showing a gentle grin, "I won't attack you out of the blue, okay? You look like a deer caught in front of headlights."

"S-Sorry…," said the blonde with a bit of embarrassment, "I-I'm still not used to really t-talking with others yet."

Wolfe, seeming to have thought over a clever plan, suddenly turned toward Emil.

"Hey, why don't you meet me up for lunch tomorrow behind the school?" asked the shy boy with sudden boldness, "There would be nobody there, and I could help you practice talking to others!"

In Emil's innocent mind, this seemed like the perfect idea to get rid of his anti-social status. To Wolfe, it was the perfect plan to slowly ease his way into the heart of his new victim.

They continued to talk to each other, getting to know one another. It came to the point where Wolfe started howling in laughter while Emil was nervously confused at his new friend's sudden amusement.

Richter was not happy about it. Not delighted, nor overjoyed about the fact that his angel was being stolen. Not one bit.

dOoOb

The next day during lunch, Emil followed Wolfe behind the school to get a start on de-anti-socializing his status.

Richter, who noticed Emil's disappearance from the cafeteria immediately, started to get worried, his mind filling itself with endless situations.

Did Emil fail a test and had to retake it during lunch? Did Emil get his lunch stolen and had to go to the store because everyone else bought the school bread? Did Emil forget his homework in the dorms and had to go get them? Did Emil get kidnapped on the way? Was Emil safe right now!

All these questions were sabotaging his mind along with his appetite. Aqua noticed this right away.

"Richter, darling, are you okay?" she said laced with concern, "You haven't eaten a bite out of my lunch box."

"Do you know where Emil went?" asked the man bluntly. He needed to make sure that his Emil was safe.

_Ugh_, groaned Richter as he quickly corrected himself in his mind,_ He's not _mine_. So stop thinking such things. Control…_

While correcting himself in his head, Aqua made a jealous expression as she loudly stated, "He went with that tennis player behind the school."

Sometimes, it amazed Richter on how this blue-haired girl could simply state where any person was in the school at anytime. She did once tell him with a mischevious grin that she "had her resources," but that wasn't the important thing that needed his attention.

He had to save Emil from that playboy.

dOoOb

Meanwhile, Emil and Wolfe got themselves cozy under a tree, taking out their lunches and eating them under the peace and quiet under the big oak.

While Emil ate, the "prince" stole some glances at his "princess."

This guy definitely wasn't very masculine. At all. The shoulder-length locks of his golden hair just seemed to frame his soft-angled face. His shy, emerald eyes seemed to glimmer under the shade of the tree, sunlight making his whole being seem to glow.

Wolfe just started. He didn't realize how attractive this guy was.

Emil, glancing at Wolfe, was met with dark ebony eyes. He was starting to feel uncomfortable under the athlete's heated stare.

"U-Umm…," Emil started quietly, "Y-Your s-staring."

Snapped out of his daydream, Wolfe suddenly turned a nice shade of red as he quickly turned away and muttered an almost inaudible apology.

_I swear_, said Wolfe with complete amazement,_ this guy is like an angel!_

"U-Uhhh…Wolfe?" asked the angel with worry, "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," he managed to get out, "I was just a bit surprised, that's all."

"By what?"

Emil's curiosity always got him into trouble, so when that question automatically popped out of his mouth, he immediately clamped his mouth shut with his two hands. And then he started to apologize about his nosiness and how he knows he shouldn't be asking those kinds of questions.

The dark-haired playboy replied with care that it was quite alright, and that he didn't have to worry about it.

"…I just thought you looked like an angel," he said, blush obvious on his face, "I know I sound corny, and maybe insulting, but you really looked beautiful under the shade."

Emil had to turn red on that comment, at least pink. He wasn't expecting that.

After a moment of awkward silence, Wolfe's eyes wandered from Emil's blushing face to his slender neck. He then spotted something he had not been expecting to find.

"Emil," he said softly and slowly, making the mentioned person very nervous.

"Y-Yes?"

"Is that a hickey on your neck?"

* * *

Ahh…. I've been getting a writer's block…

It's not helping that I procrastinate as well.

Written from 2:00am – 4:00am

I apologize if there are any errors… I'm just gonna…

ZZZZzzzzz….


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Not. Mine. Although I wish it was.

Thank you all readers who decided to stay and read the story!

Your patience is admired and appreciated by the author thoroughly.

Please continue down to the next chapter! :D

* * *

**Chapter Seven:** A Small Realization

Emil's hand quickly went to the left side of his neck.

_A HICKEY!_, Emil screeched in his mind, _when did I ever get that?_

"Ummm…," the boy mumbled out as his face quickly flushed rosy red, "I actually have no idea…"

Wolfe leaned in closer to get a better look at his neck. The boy he was getting closer to wasn't very comfortable with that.

"W-What are you doing!" Emil squeaked out scooting back towards the tree.

"Relax, Emil," Wolfe said with a gentle smile, "I just want to get a better look."

"A-At my neck? What for!"

"Just let me see!"

Emil was cornered. He was sitting at the base of a thick tree trunk, his knees close to his chest. Wolfe moved in, looming over Emil as he lowered his head to have a closer inspection of the red kiss mark on the blonde's neck. The red mark was very faded, almost back to a normal skin color. It was almost non-existent. He wouldn't even have noticed the little hickey if he wasn't checking Emil's neck out. Wolfe then had another brilliant idea.

He whispered into the younger boy's ear quietly and almost hesitantly, "Can I replace it?"

"EMIL!"

Richter sprinted to the tree like he was being chased by rabid fan girls. The red-headed man grabbed the collar of the athlete's uniform and almost threw him into the school wall.

"Emil," he panted, out of breath from running, "did he do anything to you?"

Emil just started at Richter. He never saw Richter this frantic about…anything.

Emil just shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving Richter's face. He watched as relief flooded his eyes.

"That's good," he sighed out in relief. He then turned to the tennis player, his expression cold and glaring with anger. Wolfe was dusting himself off when he was once again grabbed by the collar and lifted into the air. He gasped in surprise, his hands quickly going to his neck as Richter shoved him into the wall, knocking the wind out of him.

"If you dare to ever get close to Emil again," Richter whispered dangerously, his cold gaze completely unfazed, "You will have an early grave. Do you understand?"

Wolfe, equally unfazed by Richter's anger, replied back with equal intensity, "I understand completely. But I will not give him up."

Richter just scowled and threw him to the ground, "It's your life."

Emil was still sitting at the base of the tree, frozen with both fear and shock. What was going on?

"R-Richter?" he asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

The man responded with a quick glace towards the blonde, then muttering something Emil couldn't hear. He tried to get to his feet but stumbled a bit; his legs were still a bit shaky and unsteady after the small fright he experienced.

Richter was quickly next to his side, ignoring the now-dusty athlete picking himself off the ground.

"I'll take you to the dorms."

"B-But what about my classes a-and rehearsal after school?", the angel fretted.

"What are your classes?" Richter asked, "I'll get the notes and the homework for you."

"B-But…"

"No buts."

Emil had to flinch at that, and almost muttered another unnecessary apology, but he kept his mouth shut. Richter didn't notice his silent apology. If he did, then he didn't acknowledge it. He grabbed the still-shaking Emil by his wrist and practically dragged him away from the scene.

Wolfe simply sighed. He was expecting a jealous outburst from Richter, but man that hurt! He adjusted his messed-up shirt collar and looked down to the base of the tree. Emil's lunchbox was sitting half eaten under the shade of the swaying oak. He smiled.

_Looks like God gave me another shot._

dOoOb

After Richter escorted Emil to their room, Emil was left alone as Richter wordlessly left to return to the school.

And Emil was bored.

Very bored.

In his boredom, he took the time to look at his neck to see the faded hickey residing on his neck. Just how did he get this little mark anyway? He didn't have a lover right now. The only incident which could have caused this would be when Richter was…

Oh.

Emil shook away the blood rushing to his face as he tried to reason it out in his head. Richter wouldn't do that! He still gives him the cold shoulder sometimes. But what about that incident at lunch? He's never acted that way before. At least in front of Emil.

The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. What does this all mean! Did Richter really give him the hickey? He had his head in his hands at his desk, just moaning in frustration.

Just then, Richter opened the door without warning, holding a paper shopping bag. He held the bag out to a slightly embarrassed Emil.

"It's the notes and the homework for your last classes," Richter stated, "We have no rehearsal today because Alice suddenly needed a chauffer."

Emil nodded. He was bursting with questions for Richter, but was too scared to ask him. In his mind, Richter could explode in anger at any time, and Emil did not want to be shouted at by him right now, so he kept silent. But he fidgeted. Uncomfortably and uncontrollably, Emil kept on twiddling his fingers, squirming in his seat, AND deciding that the floor and Richter's face were the most interesting things on the planet.

Of course, Richter noticed this, and it was getting on his nerves.

After ten minutes of Emil-fidgeting, Richter kept his eyes on his homework, but called out to Emil, asking, "What do you want to say?"

Emil jumped in his seat and suddenly found his homework fascinating.

"U-Umm…," he started, "C-Can I ask a question?"

"You already did."

"Oh… sor- oh, I mean… nevermind…"

"Just say it," Richter said with annoyance, still not looking up from his assignment.

Emil's face reddened considerably as he muttered out his question. Very quietly.

"What did you say? Speak up."

"U-Umm…," Emil started out again, this time adding a little more volume, "D-Did you give me a h-h-hickey?"

At this, Richter looked up from his work, eyes widening a bit in surprise. He didn't expect that question to pop up out of the blue, and he certainly didn't expect that now.

After being shocked for a few moments, Richter's expression went serious.

"…I did," he replied, his face starting to have small traces of pink.

"W-Why?" Emil asked, his curiosity getting the better of him again.

"Why do you think?" Richter asked, wondering if his angel would get the hint. Unfortunately, his wish did not come true.

"I… I don't know…," Emil replied, his head bowing, "Sorry."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to apologize so excessively?"

"O-Oh, I'm so- wait, I… um… sorry."

Once again, Richter had to _gently_ tell Emil that it was okay, that he wasn't mad at him. Emil just nodded his bowed head. This routine was seriously getting old.

"The reason why I gave you a… hickey," Richter said to regain Emil's attention, "was because I –"

"Emil, you forgot your lunchbox!" Wolfe interrupted while opening the door uninvited. Richter was definitely not pleased with his interruption.

"Oh… thank you," said Emil as his lunchbox was returned to him.

Wolfe took a glance at Richter's glaring face and smirked. It was going to be so fun stealing this little princess away.

"By the way," Wolfe called out to Emil as he was closing the door, "your lunch was delicious! Could you make some of that food for me someday?"

"S-Sure!" replied Emil with a bit of surprise. No one has ever complimented his food before, but maybe that was because he didn't let anyone try it.

Wolfe gave Emil one more goofy smile before closing the door.

Richter was definitely going to murder him.

* * *

Yesssss… another chapter is done.

AND I DIDN'T PROCRASTINATE THIS TIME!

...but it's a bit short. Sorry, readers.

As usual, reviews, comments, and criticism are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

…Now wait patiently for the next one. :P


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** The characters are not mine. The story I'm writing is mine.

Hello.

This is the next chapter, obviously.

Anyway, just get reading!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: **Surprise Shopping Trip

The next day passed by with no particular troubles. Along with the next day, and the next. Wolfe didn't seem to be plotting anything, but Richter was cautious anyway.

For that week, Richter stuck to Emil like glue.

…Well, as much as school would let him. During the classes they were apart, Richter seemed to be on edge, constantly tapping his pencil on the desk, or frequently looking at the classroom clock. This kind of behavior for Richter was definitely unusual, compared to his usual cold, unmoving glare.

Lunch arrived, and Emil was holding two lunchboxes; one for himself and the other for Wolfe. Since the tennis player had asked, it wouldn't do any harm to give him some food, right? Emil could also try out some new recipes and give it to him to see if he likes it. If Wolfe liked his food, then maybe Emil could cook some healthier food for Richter; he had been eating a lot of fast food for dinner.

As Emil started to leave to search for Wolfe, he was greeted by Richter, who suddenly regained his frigid glare.

"Where are you going?" he asked not too kindly.

"I-I'm just going to look for… a friend!" Emil replied, thinking over his answer for Richter. If he even mentioned anything about Wolfe, Richter would surely get mad at him.

"I'll go with you," Richter said firmly.

"B-But…," Emil stuttered, trying to find a solution, "it's a bit private…"

Richter's eyes narrowed. Private?

"Hey there, Emil," said Wolfe passing by, "Richter."

Richter glared in response. He didn't really want to look at this guy right now. Especially, since he was slowly inching his way towards the oblivious Emil.

"Hey," Wolfe said with sudden interest, pointing at the two boxes in Emil's hands "is that for me?"

"Uh…well, that is…," the blonde started to mutter out. This guy was sneaking an arm around Emil's shoulders while reaching for the mentioned lunch box in his hands. So much for being subtle.

"Thanks, Emil!" the athlete smiled as he took the top box in Emil's hands, "You're such a nice guy! You cook well, and you're not bad-looking either."

Richter was glaring daggers at Wolfe the whole time. It seems Wolfe was gradually becoming immune to his glares, but not completely. The black-eyed playboy still shivered a bit under his frigid stare. But Wolfe remained unshaken, only wrapping his arms around the princess' shoulders.

Ohh… this boy was just asking for war.

"So, Emil," Wolfe almost growled into his ear, "Are you free for the weekend?"

"W-W-W-What!" Emil practically squeaked out, starting to struggle in his attacker's grasp.

"He's busy," Richter said rather coldly, pulling Wolfe off of his angel.

"Doing what, if I may ask," Wolfe asked, standing next to Emil again, still holding the lunch box, "Maybe I could join you."

"Grocery shopping," Richter said bluntly. The most boring thing that he could think of for a playboy jock like Wolfe would be grocery shopping. Richter would bet that all Wolfe ever thought of would be tennis and girls. And he was right.

"Grocery shopping…," Wolfe hesitated. He had been grocery shopping before with his mom, but it could be close to the most horrifying thing next to hell. She kept pushing energy drinks and vegetables onto him, insisting that "it's good for you and you should eat ten servings a day." Sure, he understood that vegetables were good for him, but a guy would like some meat in his diet, too!

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Wolfe suddenly smiled and said cheerfully, "Have fun shopping, you guys! And thanks for the lunch box, Emil." He then walked away as cheerful as a dog with a bone.

_That was strange…_, Emil thought as Wolfe walked away down the hall, humming a happy tune.

Richter, seeing Wolfe's expression from slight horror to sudden happiness, was definitely suspicious of him. Wolfe had a plan. He didn't know what it was, but that little dog had some sort of plan brewing.

Richter scowled, and then told Emil to hurry up because the lunch bell rang and they had to get to class.

Emil followed behind him, since their classrooms were right next to each other.

During Emil's Geometry class with Mr. Regal Bryant, the angel sat thinking and dazing off into his daydream world. What happened at lunch was very uncomfortable. Wolfe was all over him. But maybe that's what he does with his other teammates…? After all, the stronger guys tended to get into playful fist fights, so maybe Wolfe was doing that to show his friendship?

"Emil!" Mr. Bryant repeated for the third time, finally bringing Emil back down to Earth, "What did I just say?"

"Ummm…"

He was surely going to get detention for that.

dOoOb

Meanwhile, Richter was trying to concentrate on his English class, but his mind was on other things. Specifically that playboy dog, Wolfe. Just _what _was that guy planning to do? Stalk them? The horror…

"Mr. Abend, could you please translate this sentence for us?" asked the old English teacher.

Richter wordlessly got up from his seat, translated the sentence, and then quickly sat back down at his seat. There were simply too many distractions now. He would have to try and pry Wolfe's plan apart later.

dOoOb

Drama class, the final class of the day, finally approached. Everyone was busy doing something; making the costumes, building props, or memorizing lines.

Richter was flipping through his lines again, occasionally looking from the script in his hands to Emil. Because Wolfe was at a tennis game, he didn't have to worry too much about his little angel being assaulted. The play was only two weeks from now, so everyone was busy rehearsing and making last minute adjustments to this outfit or that backdrop; no one would have time to even think about romance at this critical time.

Emil favored the busy-body atmosphere of the class. It really made him feel like he could do something to help, especially since everyone was surprisingly friendly. Although, there was this one time when Duke put his arm around his shoulders for a second before letting go with a stiff expression… that was a little strange. Many backstage crew members often asked him to help paint if he wasn't busy memorizing his lines. Others asked him to carry this piece of wood there and other little odd jobs when he wasn't busy.

The class eventually finished, the cast letting out a small sigh of relief that the day was done. "Only two more weeks!" Marta said with a grin, "Make sure to get your lines memorized!"

"I-I will!" Emil said with determination as he waved goodbye. It was Friday, so tomorrow was also grocery shopping day. He glanced at Richter for a moment before quickly snapping his head face-forward. Richter caught him for a split second, and made a questioning expression before packing the last of the supplies away.

"…Let's go home," Richter said, gesturing Emil to follow him. The blond quietly picked up his things and followed him obediently. Emil still cast curious glances to the redhead's back, a lingering question egging the back of his mind.

As the pair quickly arrived at the dorms, there was a figure waiting near the gate. Richter was immediately suspicious, catching a glimpse of a sports jacket. He stopped in his tracks, causing Emil to bump head-first into his back.

"I-I'm sor – "

"Shh," Richter hushed as he approached the gate, gesturing Emil to hide. Emil got the message and hastily hid behind the wall. However, as Richter got closer to the figure, he noticed it was more feminine than masculine. The figure turned, hearing the nearing footsteps and smiled.

"Richter!"

_Crap_, the redhead thought before being caught in a rather large bear hug. He had forgotten that Aqua was in the swim team. She was wearing the general sports jacket that all sports team member got for free once they got onto any sports team. The sleeves were navy blue while the torso was white. There was a single black stripe that ran along the sleeves down the sides of the jacket. On the back, big black lettering that read, "SYMPHONIAN HIGH SWIM TEAM," was printed in sky blue, the swim team's color. The logo on the back was blocked by the wall so he automatically assumed it was that raging Wolfe.

"I missed you so much~," the petite girl whined, "Let's never fight again!" He just groaned before Emil walked out to see what the commotion was. Once he saw that it was the blue-haired girl, he made to run, but Aqua noticed him immediately.

"Hey," Aqua shouted, making Emil freeze mid-step, "Aren't you that cross-dressing guy…um… Emil, right?" The boy had no idea how to respond to such a question. He slowly turned, and smiled weakly, acknowledging that, yes, he was that cross-dressing boy.

"…H-Hi?" he weakly spoke out. The girl's judging stare didn't help to his nervousness.

After a few moments of silence, Richter made to pry the aquatic girl off of him. Aqua, broken out of her slight trance, reluctantly let go of him, but clapped her hands once, making the other two spectators jump in surprise.

"Okay, it's settled," she suddenly announced, "We are going to go shopping tomorrow."

"W-What?" Emil burst out in confusion. "B-But, I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow!" he protested.

Richter wasn't extremely surprised; he had been victim to one too many surprise shopping trips of Aqua's in the past. "Sorry, Aqua," Richter said before grabbing Emil's wrist and gently pulled him toward the dorm gate, "but like Emil said, he's busy, so he can't."

"Weeeeelll," the girl drawled out, "isn't grocery shopping, shopping? We can always drop the food off after before going to the outdoor mall." Richter became quiet. "Good," she said in a chipper tone along with a big grin, "I'll come to wake you guys up!" Aqua then walked away with a skip in her step.

Richter inwardly groaned before briskly walking towards the dorm building, dragging Emil along with him. He walked past the decorated lobby and went into their room. He let go of Emil's wrist once they entered, put his black, sling-over bag down, and went to the bathroom door.

"I'm going to shower first, okay?" he said before shutting the door. He didn't wait for an answer.

Emil sighed, sitting on his bed and looking out the window. He took his overly flowery bag off his shoulder, knowing that he still had plenty of homework to do before night really fell.

_It's going to be a long day tomorrow._

* * *

I AM ALIVE.

Isn't it amazing?

It seems that I'll only be able to update during the summer…*sob*

Anyway, I'll continue to write a chapter every week, just like I did before, but this time on Sunday/Monday.

So, as usual, **reviews are appreciated**.

I'm going to reply to you guys and gals now, so be prepared for short little messages from me.

Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Everything belongs to their proper owners. Including my own characters!

This update is a little late.

I apologize for that.

The upside is that this chapter is a little longer than my usual chapters…? Hopefully?

Anyway, the chapter is here now, so read!

* * *

**Chapter 9:** The Challenge

_knock knock knock _

Emil groaned as he turned over in his bed. He really did not feel like getting up today. He looked at the display of his alarm clock.

7:03am… just a tad too early for rational thinking.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

The knocking on the door only seemed to get louder as neither one of the boys refused to get out of their respective beds to answer the door. Richter growled in annoyance as he pulled the covers of his messy bed head a little tighter.

_BAM BAM BAM!_

Although reluctant, Emil got out of his warm blankets to answer the door with a small, "Hello?"

Standing at the door was none other than Aqua, fully dressed in her cute, casual clothing. She was wearing a skin-tight, dark blue tank top with a striped grey and white cardigan. Her white shorts cut off mid-thigh, her knee-high blue and white stockings going up far enough to only let a bit of skin show.

"As promised," she twittered in a tone that was way too cheerful, "We are going to go do some early bird shopping!" Emil, still fairly drowsy, was trying to comprehend why this girl was standing in front of his dorm room. "And get changed out of… whatever you're in," she said with mild amusement, scanning the white, frilly night gown draped over his shoulders. Although he did get new night clothes from Richter, he couldn't bring himself to wear them; he found the clothing a bit too constricting, since he moved a quite a bit in his sleep.

"Richter, baby~~~," she called out in a sickeningly sweet way, causing Emil to unconsciously cover his ears, "Get up now, darling! We are going to do some early bird shopping~! And if you don't get up, I'll have to give you a morning kiss~!" Richter made some sort of unintelligible noise as Aqua giggled, saying she would be waiting downstairs.

_A morning k-k-kiss?_ Emil stuttered in his mind, suddenly wide awake and thoroughly embarrassed as the image of him and Richter popped up into his mind, his face reddening at the thought. _Nononononono…bad Bad BAD!_ He scolded himself before promptly walking to Richter's bedside.

"Hey, Richter," Emil said over the cocooned Demon Lord and giving him a gentle shake, "Come on get up! Otherwise Aqua will really barge in here!" Suddenly an arm shot out from under the covers, grabbing the unsuspecting victim's wrist. Emil yelped in surprise as he was dragged into the bed on top of the half-asleep Richter.

"…don't wanna get up," he murmured before drawing his victim closer to his chest. Emil was a tomato-face by now. Although he had heard from Richter's previous roommate (a fellow drama student) that he had low blood pressure in the mornings, was often cranky, and acted on a whim during the mornings, this kind of situation _never_ happened before. Never.

"R-richter!" Emil squeaked out, automatically pushing against his friend's chest, "L-let gooooo!" His efforts only served to make Richter hug him all the more tightly.

"Richter…," Emil whimpered out, almost giving up on escaping the Demon Lord's grasp until he finally cracked open an emerald eye to see where all the noise was coming from.

"I already said I didn't want…," Richter trailed off, finally noticing their precarious position. Richter practically shoved Emil away from him in surprise, jumping to the other side of the bed. Unfortunately, the little princess wasn't so lucky and landed on his rear end on the hard floor emitting a small sound of pain. Richter's calm was broken only for a moment before it turned into concern.

"Are you alright? ... Sorry for pushing you," Richter apologized softly before getting off his bed to help Emil to his feet.

"I-I'm okay," the little princess muttered out softly looking at his feet, his face blazing embarrassment, "just a bit startled…"

Richter's heart churned with regret as he announced that he was going to use the bathroom first. Emil nodded quickly the blush still visible on his cheeks.

\/O.O\/

Aqua immediately noticed the awkward tension between the two once they came down the stairs. It partially worried her, but she didn't pay any special attention to it and ushered them into the waiting taxi towards the mall, clinging to her precious Richter.

Emil, forcibly persuaded to sit in the front, didn't fight the swimmer's enthusiasm too much. He was still shaken up by this morning's sudden boldness from a certain someone. Deciding to break up the atmosphere, Aqua started to comment on their attire.

"Richter, baby, you look sooo handsome~ As usual~" she strung out, gluing herself to his arm in the back as Emil watched their actions through the rearview mirror. Richter wore a simple, semi-tight black t-shirt with a light zip-up jacket loosely hanging on his muscular shoulders; the jacket zipped up half-way. He wore simple blue jeans with grey sneakers to finish the very simple look. Although the outfit was simple, he still looked very attractive, his hair currently tied messily in a low ponytail; he was too lazy to comb through the mane this morning.

Emil was starting to stare through the mirror before his eyes met Richter's piercing green irises. Once again startled, Emil swiftly averted his gaze back down to his lap.

Aqua, her eyes catching the small interaction, decided to intervene and blurted out suddenly, "Cross-dresser, we are going to get you a new wardrobe, so be prepared for my wrath!"

Emil jumped a bit at her declaration before nervously smiling back at her devious grin. His outfit was not too horrible… for a girl. It seems that the majority of his clothing was either unisex or full-out feminine. Currently, he was wearing a pink t-shirt with a daisy printed smack-dab in the middle of his chest. He tried his best to cover the flower with a black jacket, but it didn't help much since the jacket had the letters _LOVE_ printed out over the front in rainbow colors along with a huge heart framing it. His bottom half was a bit better; he wore regular colored jeans and white sneakers.

He sighed, poking at the rainbow hairclip Aqua insisted that he wear. She said it was to, "keep those annoying bangs out of your face." But the few strings of hair never really bothered him. He fiddled with it a bit more before Aqua told him to stop messing with it.

\/O.O\/

After a painful 30 minutes drowned in Aqua's senseless talking, they finally arrived at the city mall.

"The grocery store is just right across from the mall, so it's convenient for both of us!" Aqua piped out, still clinging onto Richter's arm for dear life.

"Can you let go of my arm now," Richter said sharply yanking his arm out of the girl's vice grip.

"Aw~ Richter, you don't have to be shy~," she whined before quickly jumping up to peck him on the cheek. There was a variety of reactions from the different parties. Richter, clearly enraged, chased after a happily squealing Aqua bursting of happiness about having finally given a kiss to her "boyfriend."

Emil just stood there a bit shocked. A range of emotions ran through him as the scene replayed itself in slow motion in his mind. First was anger. Then sadness. And then frustration and confusion.

"Seriously, that girl has some nerve…," Richter came back grumbling angrily to himself before noticing the shadow over Emil's eyes.

"Emil," Richter started, bringing the angel out of his trance, "Are you alright?"

_No!_ his mind screamed, _I'm not alright! How could you let that girl touch you!_ That thought came to the front of his mind immediately, but he held it in, only standing still, motionless to a very confused Richter.

"Please, talk to me Emil," the red head asked, a very small hint of fear running through his voice, "Did someone hurt you? Do you feel sick?"

Too many questions. Not enough answers.

Emil shook his head with such little movement, Richter almost missed it. The little princess was thoroughly confused; why did he feel this way? Why did he hate seeing others touch Richter so much? Why was he yearning for the taller man to just hold him close and tell him that he lo –

"Hey!" a familiar voice called out, interrupting Emil's train of thought, "What a coincidence to see you guys here! Mind if I join?" Both Emil and Richter turned their heads to be greeted with a man that wore their school's sports jacket, a pair of grey jeans, and tennis shoes. It was the man who has constantly tried to tear them apart ever since day one: Wolfe Sanders.

A moment of surprise was followed quickly by open hostility from the red headed man, Richter instinctively moving in front of his angel.

"What do you want, Wolfe?" Richter managed to say calmly, despite his rising anger at the suggestive glances Wolfe was giving to the ever-oblivious Emil, who looked at the two in nervous worry and fear.

"Why are you so suspicious of me?" Wolfe sighed, stepping closer to the pair, "I simply wanted to hang out with you guys, especially since I'm all alone on my own out here. Won't you take in this lost little puppy?"

Before Richter was able to harshly decline the annoying brat (who, for some reason, was a centimeter taller than him), Aqua burst out of the crowd. "You're so mean, Richter!" she complained loudly, giving a pouting face to the one mentioned, "You just left me in the crowd all by myself! I'm a girl! You should treat girls with more care than that!"

"Well, who is this little cutie," Wolfe said curiously, arching his eyebrows, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"She is not my –"

"Yes~ We are very happy together~" Aqua purred, attaching herself to Richter's arm again, as if the argument before had never existed.

Emil felt that rush of confusing emotions go through him as he remembered that little kiss the blue-haired girl had given Richter only a few minutes before. What exactly was this emotion? It confused him to no end, and the effects of this were clearly shown on his face. Wolfe, seeing this, smirked. He could use this girl to his advantage…

"Weren't you guys here to do some shopping?" the athlete reminded them, "If you don't hurry soon, all the early-bird specials will be gone."

Aqua gasped, looked at her cell phone clock, then promptly dragged the boys to follow her.

"It's already 8am! Hurry you slowpokes! We only have a couple of hours before the sales end!" she ranted, pulling the extremely reluctant Richter by the arm towards the entrance.

"Come on now," Wolfe said as he placed one hand on the small of Emil's back, pushing him forward, "We certainly can't keep the lady waiting." Emil nodded blankly, not noticing the hand snaking its way around his waist.

Richter turned just in time to see this action being done. Thankfully, he was freed from his temporary shackles, as the shackles just jumped into a hectic crowd of shoppers to get a good deal. He strode over to the pair and pulled Emil towards him, taking the angel out of the devil's grasp.

"Don't touch him," Richter growled, bringing the gradually reddening Emil away from the predatory Wolfe.

"Two can play that game," Wolfe whispered to himself as he followed them in close pursuit.

+O.O+

The rest of the shopping trip consisted of Aqua dragging Richter around, Richter dragging Emil around, and Wolfe following all of them around. The hours ticked by, and the sun began to set.

"Let's do karaoke!" Aqua exclaimed, pumping one fist into the air. The boys were forced to carry her many shopping bags. "I know the owner of a good place around here, so let's go!" She latched onto Richter's arm again and proceeded to drag him over to sing karaoke. Emil and Wolfe quietly followed, the fatigue starting to set in from hours of shopping.

One of the employees, seeing Aqua, a regular customer, greeted her happily and gave them a 50% discount to book a room.

They sat down on the plush benches against the walls, eager to rest their tired feet from standing, walking, and running around the mall for the majority of the day. It was actually Aqua who sang most of the songs, her glances clearly directed to Richter, who completely ignored her to guard Emil from any attacks from Wolfe.

Finally, even Aqua got tired of trying to impress the cold Richter and forced Emil, the most feminine and least intimidating male among the group to sing a song.

"Oh, it's okay," he said and he was forced to hold the microphone, "r-really!"

"It's just one song!" Aqua insisted as she flipped through the song catalogue. She suddenly smiled and showed the book to Emil, "Can you sing this one? I'm pretty sure everyone knows this song." Emil nodded hesitantly, but Aqua was already setting the machine to play the mechanical accompaniment.

"Wolfe," she called out to the athlete, bringing him out of his ogling to have a second microphone shoved into his hands.

"What…I can't sing," he said curtly, trying to give the microphone back to the overly energetic girl.

"You have to sing it!" she insisted, "It's a duet! C'mon!"

Then the lyrics appeared after a fairly long introduction. Wolfe, studying the words quickly, then smiled in pleasure. This was one song he was definitely singing with this pretty little princess.

The machine sang the first few lines of the song.

_I can see what's happening._ (What?)

_And they don't have a clue!_ (Who?)

_They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line:_

_Our trio's down to two!_ (Oh…)

_Ze sweet caress of twilight,_

_There's magic everywhere._

_And with all this romantic atmosphere,_

_Disaster's in the air…!_

Emil began first quietly, but the microphone amplified his voice:

_Can you feel the love tonight?_

Richter froze where he sat, not bothering to pry the leech off his arm anymore. Was that really Emil's voice?

_The peace the evening brings._

Even Wolfe was temporarily stunned by the blonde's angelic voice. Emil, looking around at surprised faces, almost stopped singing out of embarrassment, but was urged on by Aqua, also entranced at Emil's hidden talent.

_The world, for once, in perfect harmony,_

_With all its living things…_

Wolfe almost missed his cue, but caught on after the first few words slipped by.

_So many things to tell her,_

_But what to make her see_

_The truth about my past? _

_Impossible…_

_She'd turn away from me…_

Richter then realized the truth behind those words. He never really talked about his past to anyone. It was a dark life that he had decided to turn his back to long time ago. If he told Emil these things… would he run away?

Emil, gaining a bit more confidence, sang a bit louder.

_He's holding back, he's hiding._

_But what, I can't decide._

_Why won't he be the king I know he is?_

_The king I see inside…_

While singing these words, he unconsciously looked to Richter. What exactly was he hiding from him? Richter would always tell him it was none of his business whenever that Aqua girl came to pick him up. He would never explain why he got so angry with Wolfe. He always closed him off, not even explaining why he kept randomly holding him close today!

_What are you hiding from me?_ Emil thought as the chorus came up both him and Wolfe singing together.

_Can you feel the love tonight?_

_The peace the evening brings._

_The world, for once, in perfect harmony_

_With all its living things…_

The climax of the song approached, and Wolfe decided to make his move. He stood up, then dramatically knelt down in front of a steadily nervous Emil as the two of them continued to sing.

_Can you feel the love tonight?_

_You needn't look too far…_

Wolfe then took Emil's retreating hand and looked into his princess' eyes, boring into them, as if to tell a hidden message. Richter had started to become wary once the pretty boy had knelt down on one knee. He tensed up as the duo continued to sing.

_Stealing through the night's uncertainties,_

_Love is where we are…_

Wolfe had purposely changed that word from "they" to "we," the last line trailing off as the karaoke machine sang the last lines of the song.

_And if he falls in love tonight,_

_It can be assumed…_

_His carefree days_

_With us are history…_

_In short our pal_

_Is doomed…_

The song finished and a stunned silence filled the room before the karaoke fanfare declared a perfect score for that song, taking everyone by surprise.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Aqua said, breaking the silence as she exited, completely shocked that her "rival" was such a wonderful singer.

"Emil!" exclaimed Wolfe as he took a seat next to the slightly shaky blond, still racked by nerves even after the song, "Where on this planet did you learn to sing like that! Is your mom a mermaid or something?"

"N-no… I don't think so," Emil replied with a bit of sadness. Any talk of his parents would just…

Richter watched as Wolfe inched closer to the oblivious blond, his anger only burning hotter with every movement.

He had enough.

"Emil. Can you go outside for a minute? I need to speak with Wolfe," he said with such suppressed anger that Emil couldn't bring himself to question why. The little princess slowly made his way to the door, glancing nervously at the two figures left in the room.

Once Emil was gone, Richter was the one to make the first move. He grabbed Wolfe's sports jacket collar, smashing him into the wall. The taller man seemed unaffected by this repeated attack that Richter had used on him before behind the school.

"You had best watch yourself," he snarled in a dangerously low whisper, Wolfe's face showing nothing but amusement. This only proceeded to anger the red head further as he clenched his hand tighter around his neck, "I'm warning you, Wolfe Sanders."

The athlete only smiled, "Like I've said before, I'll keep that in mind." He pried Richter's hands away from the collar of his jacket almost effortlessly. The red head was almost surprised by his strength. Almost. The tennis player was bound to have strong arms and hands from gripping the tennis racket tightly and swinging it as well…

Richter glared at Wolfe as he walked away, his back turned to him. What he didn't expect was the following offer as the tennis player turned back to him, "Meet me behind the school at 10:00pm tonight. Perhaps then, with a little persuasion, I just _might_ give your precious angel up."

"…I will see you there," Richter hesitantly replied. Wolfe grinned and walked out as if nothing had happened in that room. Richter stood in the room for a little bit, pondering his decision. He knew this was some sort of trap. No, with Wolfe Sanders, this was definitely a trap. He glared at the floor wondering what he should do, but only for a few seconds before he walked out of the empty, abandoned room, having the same composure as that dog.

He would not let that dog brat get close to Emil.

\OoO/

Richter, Emil, and Aqua went back to the dorms while Wolfe went his separate way to prepare who-knows-what for their secret meeting tonight.

By the time Richter and Emil returned, it was already 9pm. The dorm curfew was at 10pm, so Richter would have to be careful when going to the school grounds to not get caught by the security guards. Luckily, he had little homework, so he finished the weekend homework quickly. The only problem now was to get out of the room without Emil becoming suspicious. After days of staying up to finish procrastinated homework, it was highly unlikely that Emil would just fall asleep in a few minutes.

"I'm going to run an errand," Richter said before putting on a black hoodie, "If I go past the curfew, don't worry. I'll be back soon." With that curt message, he stepped out of their room and into the inky blackness of the common room outside.

"W-wait! Richter!" Emil exclaimed a bit too late. The door closed silently.

_It's almost 10:00! The dorm head would certainly catch him!_ Emil fussed and worried in his head, getting up to pace the room. _Also…_, the blond thought to himself, pausing in his pacing about, _What _is_ Richter doing so late at night?_

A sudden urge to follow his senior swept through him as he quickly dressed in his darkest attire: a black tank, black sports shorts, and the black LOVE jacket he had worn earlier today.

It was at that moment when he was about to rush out the door that the chime for 10pm ran throughout the dorm halls.

"Lights out!" called the dorm head as he made his rounds, knocking on every door to check if everyone returned safely. Emil panicked. He noticed that Richter had not returned, so he hastily stuffed anything he could find under the covers to make it look like his missing roommate was in bed already.

_knock knock_

"I'm coming in!" announced the head as he took a quick glance around the room. Emil sat dangerously close to the edge of his bed holding a book to hide his face. The head was silent for a few moments before chuckling out, "Be sure to turn out the lights soon, 'kay?" Emil nodded, trying not to look too frantic in this action, but this only caused the head to chuckle more, closing the door behind him.

Emil at first questioned why the head was laughing at him, but then he looked down at the book in his hands and impulsively threw the book against the opposite wall.

The book was upside down.

After a moment's worth of embarrassment, Emil composed himself and tried to formulate a plan to get out of the dorms without setting the alarms off.

_The window!_

He opened up the window and looked outside for guards. Thankfully, their room was next to a ladder that had become overgrown with vines gracefully winding their way up the side of the white-washed building. Emil carefully made his way down the ladder and hid in a nearby bush, the light of the flashlight almost hitting his shimmering blond hair.

_Success_, Emil thought to himself as he headed towards the school grounds. For some strange reason, he felt that Richter would be there.

_What are you hiding from me, Richter?_

/OoO\

Meanwhile, Richter had already reached the back of the school where the old oak tree stood as a witness to the events that were to happen. Not too long after, Wolfe appeared, his gleaming white teeth glowing like fangs in the moonlight.

"Well, well, well," he said carefully, clearly pronouncing every letter and stepping more into the light, "You really did show up."

Richter scoffed, "Of course I showed up. I keep my word."

Wolfe let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark, "You are really funny, you know that?"

"Let's just get this over with," Richter snapped, "What do you want from me?"

Wolfe frowned a bit, "Why isn't it obvious?"

"You can't have Emil!" Richter said in a controlled voice. He could not show weakness. Not to this manipulator. To his surprise, however, Wolfe frowned and shook his head.

"Wrong! That is not what I want."

Now Richter was extremely confused. Emil was not his target? Then why was he constantly flirting with him? Why was he constantly trying to put the moves on Emil?

"You're confused," Wolfe stated. It was not a question. An amused smile slowly graced his lips. The predator moved towards Richter, swaying ever so subtly. "Want to guess again?"

Richter remained silent, sharp emerald eyes keeping watch of this unpredictable person.

"No?" Wolfe asked in mock disappointment, "Fine. I'll tell you."

Before he knew it, Richter was pinned against the wall at breakneck speed and strength by Wolfe who glowered down at his prey.

"I want you."

* * *

OOOOHHHH! I bet you didn't see that coming~

I will try to squeeze Alice in there… somehow…

Anyway, first time I hit 12 pages in the Microsoft Word!

I'm so proud of myself~

AND it's still Monday, so DEADLINE ACHIEVED!

As usual, **reviews are greatly appreciated**~

And thanks for sticking with this story for so long! :D


	10. Sorry

I'M SO SORRY, MY DEAR READERS!

School actually started for me about a couple weeks ago. Summer homework that was procrastinated was finished hastily near the ending weeks of summer.

Bleh.

BUT I will continue to update when I'm not swamped with work.

Which will be extremely rare.

Sorry for the two-month-late warning.

D:


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